Nothing Says 'Christmas' Like a Murderous Rampage!

The holidays are once again upon us. It seems like Halloween was just yesterday, but that may be because the Christmas crap was already out before we had the opportunity to mourn, forcing us to be jolly and shit. As it happens, I’m never jolly. Take that, Christmas!

Anyballs, it’s time to review holiday horror and boy have I got a stocking stuffer for you. Silent Night, Bloody Night or Night of the Dark Full Moon (original title) is one of those films most people forget exists until moments such as this and with good reason. Although it has developed somewhat of a cult following.

A stately, abandoned manor has been inherited by Jeffrey Butler, the grandson of the original owner. Since the home was once an institution for the mentally ill, Jeffery decides to sell it. Of course, small towns being what they are, the mayor and its other inhabitants are not keen on outsiders. The town’s apprehension, along with an escaped mental patient, is going to make this a tough sell. Naturally, the looney on the loose has hidden in the house and begins killing off anyone who gets too close, including, but not limited to, potential new owners.

Black and white flashbacks near the end of the film give us the backstory on the Butler family and the house/asylum’s violent past, which consists of nefarious doctors, murder, incest, and the dark beginnings of the town itself.

If you’ve never seen this film before, you’re likely to say it’s nothing original, but you’d be wrong. Considering the decade, this movie’s premise is sure to have had some influence on contemporary slashers. This is not to say it’s good. The low budget, even for the early 70s, does not work in its favor. This may not have been such a hurdle had the script, acting, and direction been better.

Director Theodore Gershuny co-wrote the script with Jeffrey Konvitz. For those of you not familiar with Konvitz, he wrote The Sentinel (novel). The cast consists mainly of Andy Warhol personalities, such as Mary Woronov and Candy Darling. The most notable actor would be John Carradine, however, if that’s the draw, it’s a poor one considering he doesn’t actually speak.

Silent Night, Bloody Night is very dark, but I don’t just mean in tone. I mean you actually can’t see anything. To be fair, I have one of the earliest DVD releases of the film and the transfer is absolutely appalling. The film was restored and re-released in 2013, but the movie is public domain and you can likely it online if you don’t want to shell out $8 for the DVD.

The film was remade in 2013 as Silent Night, Bloody Night: The Homecoming and a sequel, Silent Night, Bloody Night 2: The Revival is in the works. I can’t bloody wait. (yes I can)

Supernatural Honey Rating: Two ax-wielding, escaped mental patients out of five.How do YOU feel about this cult holiday classic?Tell Suzanne on Twitter: @suzebee04